Protector for reeds on woodwind instruments



June 28, 1966 H. H. KRECHMER PROTECTOR FOR REEDS 0N WOODWIND INSTRUMENTS Filed June 23, 1965 FIG. I.

INVENTOR HAROLD H. KRECHMER ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,257,888 PROTECTOR FOR REEDS ON WOODWIND INSTRUMENTS I Harold H. Krechmer, 159 'E. Front St., Trenton, NJ. Filed June 23,1965, Ser. No. 466,239 7 Claims. (Cl. 84-383).

This invention relates to a protector or guard for preventing accidental injury to reeds on woodwind instruments such as clarinets, saxophones, and the like. More particularly, this invention provides a mouthpiece having a seat for a reed, and a U-shaped reed-protector member,

v and may easily be injured upon contacting another object, e.g., an article of clothing, etc. Beginners on woodwind instruments are particularly prone to injuring reeds by inadvertence.

In order to prevent injury to the thin reed edge, the mouthpiece is usually provided with a removable tubular guard which can fit over the mouthpiece and protect the reed. The guard must, of course, be removed in order to play the instrument, and can easily be mislaid.

Heretofore various other types of reed guards have been described. Such prior-art reed guards generally fit over the thin reed end and may be attached to the mouthpiece or to the ligature for the mouthpiece. Invariably, such reed guards must be removed from the reed edge or repositioned, e.g., as by sliding the guard to a different position, or by rotating it about the mouthpiece, etc., before the instrument can be played.

It is an object of this invention to provide a reed guard that is permanently secured to the mouthpiece in such a manner as to protect the reed edge from damage, yet

which enables the instrument to be played without removal or repositioning of the guard' 7 Additional objects, advantages and characteristics of this invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a mouthpiece equipped with the reed guard of my invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the mouthpiece and reed guard;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view, in partial section, of the mouthpiece and reed guard, showing the thinner portion of the reed in phantom; and

FIG. 4 is a sectionalview taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

Referring to the drawing, the reference numeral 10 designates the reed of a woodwind instrument such as a clarinet or saxophone. The reed has a relatively thick portion 12 and a thinner tapered portion 14 which vibrates when the instrument is played. The reed 10 is mounted so that it rests upon aplanar seat 16 of the mouthpiece 18. The reed is clamped tothe mouthpiece by a ligature 20-which is in the form of a split band disposed about the mouthpiece 18 and reed 10 and held in clamping position by wing screws 22. The end edge 24 of the reed 10 is approximately parallel to the tip 26 of the mouthpiece but, of course, does not contact the tip.

A U-shapedmember 30 is secured to the mouthpiece 18. Thus, the ends 32 of the U-shaped member are secured to the mouthpiece 18 on opposite sides of the reed seat 16 and may be imbedded directly in the mouthpiece 18 (which is generally made of plastic, glass, or hard rubber) or otherwise secured thereto. The bight 34 of the U-shaped member is spaced from the end 26 of the reed seat 16. I have found that best results are obtained when the center of the bight 34 is at least one sixteenth of an inch from the end 26 of the reed seat. Preferably this distance should be from about /32" to 5/32.

By virtue of the foregoing construction, the bight. 34 of the U-shaped member 30 serves to protect the edge 24 of the reed 10 from injury. Moreover, the woodwind instrument can easily be played even though the reed guard 30 is present. Thus, both the slurring of notes and the tonguing of notes can be effected without the necessity of first removing the reed guard from the mouth,- piece 18.

Variations can, of course, be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to secure and claim by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination, a mouthpiece having a planar seat for a reed having a thin vibratable section and a thicker section, and a U-shaped member, the ends of said U- shaped member being secured to said mouthpiece on opposite sides of said seat, the bight of said U-shaped member being spaced from the end of said seat.

2. In combination, a mouthpiece having a planar seat for a reed, a reed having a thin vibratable section and a thicker section, a ligature clampingsaid reed to said seat with the end of said thin vibratable section being approximately parallel to but not in contact with the end of said seat, and a U-shaped member, the ends of said U-shaped member being secured to'said mouthpiece on opposite sides of said seat, the bight of said U-shaped member being spaced from the end of said seat.

3. In combination, a mouthpiece having a planar seat for a reed having a thin vibratable section and a thicker section, and a U-shaped member, the ends of said U- shaped member being secured to said mouthpiece on 0pposite sides of said seat, the center of the bight of said U-shaped member being spaced at least about from the end of said seat.

4. In combination, a mouthpiece having a planar seat for a reed having a thin vibratable section and a thicker section, and a U-shaped member, the ends of said U- shaped member being imbedded in said mouthpiece on opposite sides of said seat, the bight of said U-shaped member being spaced from the end of said seat.

5. In combination, a mouthpiece having a planar seat for a reed, a reed having a thin vibratable section and a thicker section, a ligature clamping said reed to said seat with the end of said thin vibratable section being parallel to but not in contact with the end of said seat, and a U-shaped member, the ends of said U-shaped member being imbedded in said mouthpiece on opposite sides of said seat, the bight of said U-shaped member being spaced from the end of said seat.

6. In combination, a mouthpiece having a planar seat for a reed, a reed having a thin vibratable section and a thicker section, a ligature clamping said read to said seat with the end of'said thin vibratable section being 3,257,888 4 3 4 7. In combination, a mouthpiece having a planar seat References Cited by the Examiner for a reed, a reed having a thin vibratable section and UNITED STATES PATENTS a thicker section, a ligature clamping said reed to said seat with the end of said thin vibratable section being 51322 5/1924 Greene et a1 84*383 parallel to but not in contact with the end of said seat, 5 1,543,294 6/1925 Neumann 84 383 and a U-shaped member, the ends of said U-shaped 2502558 4/1950 Costello 7 84 383 member being imbedded in said mouthpiece on opposite 2600853 6/1952 crescenzl 84 383 sides of said seat, the bight of said U-shaped member being spaced at least about from the end of said seat. LOUIS CAPOZI P'lmary Examine" 

1. IN COMBINATION, A MOUTHPIECE HAVING A PLANAR SEAT FOR A REED HAVING A THIN VIBRATABLE SECTION AND A THICKER SECTION, AND A U-SHAPED MEMBER, THE ENDS OF SAID USHAPED MEMBER BEING SECURED TO SAID MOUTHPIECE ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID SEAT, THE BIGHT OF SAID U-SHAPED MEMBER BEING SPACED FROM THE END OF SAID SEAT. 